What Once Was, Will Never Again Be
by Lets Do That Again
Summary: Princess Zelda was among the Hero of Time's greatest allies. Until she wasn't. (Linked Universe one-shot)


What Once Was, Will Never Again Be

**The Legend of Zelda and all related media are property of Nintendo.**

**/+/+/+/+/**

"This is your Hyrule, right old man?" Legend asked. Time nodded in lieu of a verbal response.

"Think we'll visit your home again?" Twilight said, trying to keep his voice from wavering in excitement.

"I believe our time would be better spent on whatever that is," Sky said, pointing to the guarded fence leading into the forest.

Time hummed lowly, leading them forward. "Ho there!" he called out once they were close enough, "What's the cause for alarm?"

"The forest is blocked off by Royal Decree," one of the soldiers gruffly stated.

"Why?" Wild asked.

"Monster activity has gotten much higher lately."

Legend eyes the hastily put together barrier, "That won't stand up very well against monsters."

"It's more for keeping people out than monsters in. They're still staying beyond the edge of the forest, thankfully."

Time thanked the men for their time, and the Heroes slowly walked away.

"Sounds like that's our next destination," Wind said. "So, how are we getting in?"

"We could find a weak spot in the fencing," Four said.

"Wait for a shift change," Twilight supplied.

"Knock out the guards…It's an option!" Legend defended himself when Warrior and Wild gave him the stink-eye.

"Let's try not to aggravate the guards," Time said. He then sighed, "…I think I can get us in legally."

**/+/+/+/+/**

"I wonder what this Zelda's like?" Sky wondered aloud.

Hyrule answered, "Has to be something special, considering the amount of praise Time heaps on her."

"You know two Zelda's, right?" Warrior asked. At Hyrule's nod, he continued, "How does that work, again? I thought the name Zelda was reserved only for female heiresses."

"Maybe in your Hyrule," the other Hero replied, "But in my Hyrule an ancient prince decreed that all female members of the royal family are to be named 'Zelda' after his sister, who was cursed with eternal sleep."

"I didn't know that was a thing," Legend said.

"Must have happened after your time," Hyrule shrugged.

"Quiet," Time said. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you all to be silent, now." No one had any objections to that. They'd quickly agreed that whenever they had to deal with nobility, they would let the Hero whose homeland they were in take the lead (some, like Wind, had never gotten a chance to take the lead). "And brace yourselves, Hyrule, Twilight, Warrior." The young men nodded, clenching their left fists.

Time approached the gate leading to Hyrule Castle. "Halt," one of the guards said as they slammed the butts of their spears into the ground, "state your business!"

Time didn't verbally respond. Instead he lifted his left hand, palm facing him. He clenched his fist, and the Heroes could _feel_ divine energy coalesce around Time. Hyrule, Warrior, and Twilight hissed in pain, their left arms spasming, but waved off any concerns.

The guards gasped, stood frozen for a second, "Y-You…t-t-that's…" they quickly dropped to their knees. "How may we serve you, Chosen One?"

Time flinched at their words, but said, "Who among the royal family is at the castle?"

"Just the Queen. The King-Consort and the Princess have left for Holodrum on a diplomatic mission."

Time grunted, "Send word for her. It is urgent that we meet."

The two guards nodded fervently, rising to their feet. "Allow me to escort you to the throne room," one said, as the other quickly rushed off to inform the Queen.

As the Heroes followed the guard, the eight foreign Link's took the time to question what had occurred.

"Never had that happen to me before," Twilight muttered.

"Well, you obviously never thought of putting on a light show for the public," Wild said, pulling his hood closer over his head when people's stares started to get too obvious.

"I've run into it a couple times," Hyrule said, staring thoughtfully at the back of his left hand. "But only from the higher-tier nobility. Most people in my Hyrule don't really know what it means. Think it's just a patriotic tattoo."

"Lucky you. After the Triforce fully manifested itself for me, no one would leave me alone."

"You say that like you consider it to be a bad thing," Sky said with a laugh.

"It is when I can't get a moment's rest without some random man or woman asking me to sign their miscellaneous items."

"Hm…" Wind hummed, looking around with a keen eye.

"And what are you doing?" Four asked.

"Comparing this castle to the one in my home. It's similar, but different."

"Oh? Getting some ideas for you and your princess's own castle?" Legend said with a grin.

Wind blushed, spluttering, "Wha—huh—N-No!" He crossed his arms, sharply turning his head, "And you better not say that when we meet Tetra eventually; that's a good way to lose an eye."

"Aw, you hear that boys?" Legend cooed mockingly, "He's planning on introducing her to the family!"

"Shut up!" Wind cried out above his fellows' laughter.

"We're here," Time suddenly said. The various Heroes all stopped in front of large, ornate doors decorated with the country's history. Two guards on either side of the doors slammed the butts of their spears against the ground, and the doors slowly slid open.

"Quite the flair for the dramatic," Sky said with a nervous laugh as they walked towards the empty throne room.

"This is taking too long," Four grumbled, "I thought Time was friends with the royal family?"

"Actually," Twilight spoke up, "He's only ever mention Princess Zelda fondly."

"Too bad she's out of the country," Wind said beneath his breath.

"All bow," a herald started to shout, "in the presence of Queen Zelda Nohansen Hyrule!"

The eight younger Heroes were taken aback when, instead of an older woman like they were all expecting, a pregnant woman of an age with Time strode from one end of the room to the throne. Their shock so great, Time had to audibly hiss at them in order to get them to bow.

When Zelda finally reached the throne, she sat with all the poise and dignity of one raised to rule. "Arise, Champion of the Goddesses," her voice was light, melodic, but maintained an air of professionalism and detachment. Time rose; the other's made to rise as well, but he gestured for them to stay.

"You have not been seen much lately," the Queen said, raising a brow.

"Fate calls to us in many different ways, your Majesty," Time answered evenly. The other Heroes exchanged disbelieving glances; weren't these two meant to be friends?

She nodded minutely, "And Fate has called you back here?"

"For the moment." Time bowed his head slightly, "I'd like to request my companions and I be given permission to pass the blockade into the forest. I believe we may be able to stop the problem at its source."

Queen Zelda was silent for a moment. "I shall grant your request. Act swiftly, and truly."

Time nodded, "Thank you, your Grace. By your leave, we shall rest for the night at the Full Quiver Inn."

"A courier shall be by with the missive. You are dismissed." With that said, Time bowed once more, and quickly led the other out, periodically silencing them to keep them from asking their numerous questions.

**/+/+/+/+/**

"So, we're confronting him about this, right?" Four asked his companions. Thankfully, the inn they were staying at had a large enough room for all of them to stay in.

Legend scoffed, "Right, because that went _sooo_ well last time."

"Last time he hadn't spent several conversations singing high praises over someone only to treat her like a barely known acquaintance," Warrior pointed out.

"What do you think?" Wild asked Twilight, "Think he'll be honest with us?"

Twilight rubbed his chin, "…I think so." He then elaborated, "This is different than…before. He's always been honest about how he feels about Zelda. There's just…something else about this."

Before they could debate further, the door opened, revealing Time holding a letter bearing the royal seal. He dropped the letter on the table, moving over to his bed and removing his armor. "I can feel your eyes boring into the back of my skull," he said as he removed his chainmail shirt, "Go ahead; ask your questions."

The younger Heroes exchanged glances. Wind found the courage to speak first, asking, "What happened in there? With the Queen?"

"I asked her for permission to pass the blockade," he said without turning around, "she granted it."

Hyrule spoke next, "But I though you said you two were friends? You…didn't act like friends. Even disregarding the whole…officialness of the situation."

"Princess Zelda counts among one of my closest allies," Time said, again, without looking away from his armor.

"Agh, _enough_!" Legend shouted. "I'm sick of your word games! How the hell can you say Zelda's a friend of yours? When we met the Queen you and her—!" He froze, everything suddenly clicking into place, his anger fading into shock, then understanding, "…Oh…I get it."

"Get what?" Four asked.

Legend chuckled mirthlessly, gesturing to Time, "It's in his name; 'Time'. The Zelda he's always talking about is from a different timeline."

"The one which leads to you, I believe," Time said, pointing to Wind.

"So…you never tried to get close to this Zelda," Warrior hesitantly asked.

"Well, we were close enough as children that she saw fit to give me this," Time said, holding out the Ocarina of Time, "But that was less a gift from a friend and more…destiny's guiding hand I suppose." He shrugged, "When we were children, before I left for my next journey, she said she'd felt as if we'd known each other forever, and that she would never forget our time together, however short it truly was."

Wild gulped, "B-But she did? Forget?"

"No, no. She perfectly remembered me," he smiled sorrowfully, "as the 'boy chosen by the goddesses'. Not as 'Link' her friend." He clicked his tongue, sitting down and staring at his hands, "I suspect the late king had a hand in that; never liked it when things didn't go his way." He let loose a low, mirthless chuckle, "That some strange boy in green who claimed to have come from the forest bore the mark of the goddesses instead of his daughter—or him—must have been a severe blow to his ego. I…not a lot of people remembered me, when I from my later journeys."

"But you knew them, right?" Sky moved over, sitting down next to Time, "You knew them from the other timeline?"

His older counterpart nodded slowly, "I…so many familiar faces. Familiar voices. But none of them were the same. If anyone ever questions if people can fundamentally change in the face of tragedy—or lack thereof—I can personally attest that they _do_."

No one else spoke up after that. Sky tried gently rubbed Time's shoulder, but the man shrugged him off.

"How?" Legend whispered. When eight heads turned to him, he further said, "How…Your entire world just…vanished. How did you bounce back…how come you…aren't broken?"

"Malon," Time answered immediately, his dour mood lifting.

"Malon?" Legend repeated incredulously.

"She's…the expeption to the rule. She…she wasn't hit as hard as others, in the other timeline, but she was still hurting. Yet, for all that befell her she was," he paused for a moment, "…she was always optimistic. Cheerful, even. Like when we were children." He smiled then, a true, genuine smile, "I wasn't expecting much when I returned to her years later but…she was a much-needed balm upon my soul."

"Wait, is that how it happened?" Warrior asked, face askew, "You fell in love with her…alternate counterpart, so then you—"

"I'm going to stop you right there," Time said, lips dipping into a frown. "That Malon was only ever a decent friend. I never felt love—or even attraction—for that woman."

"But it did influence your attraction to Malon?" Hyrule asked.

Time smiled, "By that time, I'd finally managed to grow-up, and was able to form my own opinions on the matter."

"…I…I have to ask," Wild spoke up after the following silence, "the people that changed…did you ever try and…stick it out anyway?"

"Sometimes," Time said, "It usually didn't amount to anything—just confusion for them and heartbreak for me. But it's all…it's all fine, really."

"Really?" Twilight asked incredulously. "Not being," he cleared his throat,  
"remembered by anyone is…fine?"

Time shrugged, "I didn't become a Hero for fame."

Twilight opened his mouth to retort, but thought better of it, and stayed silent.

"Well," Wind leaned back against his chair, "your pretty famous where I'm from."

"Same here," Wild added, "All of you are, really."

"Again, how does—"

"Let's not get into _that_ again," Four gruffly cut Warrior off, "My head's already spinning with the current topic of conversation."

"Really? I think it's pretty simple," Twilight said.

Time shrugged, "You either get it or you don't." He then grinned wolfishly, "Malon, bless her heart, avoided me for days when I tried to explain the minute details of time manipulation to her. That's one topic we never broached again."

The other heroes took the chance to laugh away the tension permeating the room. They spent the rest of the night laughing with and cajoling each other; only falling asleep when the full moon shone high overhead.

**/+/+/+/+/**

**A/N: Time-travel makes everything weird. And kinda sad. Be sure to leave a review.**


End file.
